Haxhiu: What is the point of a law approved in the Assembly if it is not implemented by the prosecutor, judge or police?

On behalf of the Parliamentary Group of the Vetevendosje Movement at the extraordinary session of the Kosovo Assembly on the murder of Arlindaj Zekaj, Albulena Haxhiu said that the Government has made progress in the legal infrastructure, but no law approved in the Assembly is enough if officials in the Prosecution, Court and Kosovo Police do not implement it.

Haxhiu stated that in this case it is not the fault of the Minister of Justice, Donika Gërvalla, nor of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Sveçla, as long as all the mechanisms at their disposal have been addressed.

"As institutions, we have made progress in the legal infrastructure. In 2020, the Assembly of Kosovo included the Istanbul Convention in our Constitution. We adopted the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence and the list of actions we have taken is long. None of all these actions that we have taken are enough. It is not enough as long as we still have officials in the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, in the Police, in the Prosecutor's Office, in the Courts, in the Center for Social Work or anywhere else who decide at their discretion whether to take an action or not. What is the point of a law that is approved in this Assembly if a prosecutor, a judge, and a police officer there do not implement it as such. What is the fault of Minister Gërvalla or Minister Sveçla, if the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs have addressed the legislation and mechanisms at their disposal. What is the responsibility of the Minister of Justice or the Minister of Internal Affairs here," Haxhiu declared.

She further stated that the serial murders of women in Kosovo cannot be treated in isolation and that such a thing is femicide. Haxhiu further stated that the entire society, especially men, must be engaged to stop this mentality.

"We cannot treat these murders as isolated tragedies. It is femicide, the most extreme form of violence against women. We must all engage as a society against this mentality, especially men, including the men of this Assembly. We cannot expect that only women will speak out against the violence that is being inflicted on them. Even today in this Assembly as Speaker of the Assembly, I expect that men will also speak out against the murder of women and girls in our country. This responsibility belongs to all of us, regardless of our political beliefs or the functions that we exercise today," Haxhiu declared.

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Haxhiu also mentioned several women killed by their husbands or male family members. She said the list is long, totaling 97 killed since the war.

“In May 2011, Diana Kastrati was killed after seeking protection from the Court. Hamide Magashi was killed in the courtyard of the Gynecology Clinic a few days before giving birth to her child. Erona Cokli was killed inside the Center for Social Work in Ferizaj. Arlinda Zekaj was killed shortly after returning from the police station where she had reported domestic violence. Among them are Igballe Llalloshi, Gjyla Gashi, Antigona Morina, Donjetë Pajazitaj, Zejnepe Berisha, Dafina Zhubi, Flora Omuri, Feride Tahiri, Selvije Berisha, Albesa Rudi, Feride Prokshi, Arianita Zahiti, Emine Abazaj, Valbona Marku-Ndrecaj and her nine-year-old daughter Klara Ndrecaj, Atije Dinaj, Armenda Aliu, Sabile Mavrovqani, Makfire Zuka, Sebahate Morina-Sopi, Marigona Osmani, Lirije Qerimaj, Besiana Rama, Shqiponja Isufi, Sadije Godeni, "Hyrije Broqi-Hyseni, Maria Klara, Liridona Ademja, Gjyljeta Ukella, Nexhmije Haradini, Nafije Bogujevci. This is not the complete list. There are 97 women who have been killed either by their husbands or by other male family members since the post-war period in Kosovo," Haxhiu declared.